Title: A new leadership and its implications on professions

Authors: Ann Svensson

Addresses: Department of Economy and IT, University West, P.O. 461 86 Trollhättan, Sweden

Abstract: Organisations have become more knowledge-intensive and professional during the last decades. Professional work generally has certain specific properties related to its working context. For this study, two different case studies have been conducted within two different types of professions; aircraft maintenance and emergency healthcare, each respectively belonging to two distinct categories of professions: T(hing)- and L(ife)-professions. This paper analyses the importance of management and organisation for the use of information systems within T and L-professions. The aim of this paper is to highlight the specific characteristics for the two different types of professions, T and L, and how they are affected by the organisation and management. A further objective is to derive general challenges regarding professionals' use of information systems, related to the way of managing and organising the professional complex work. Finally, a new leadership for professional organisations is suggested and its implications are discussed.

Keywords: leadership; professions; complexity; management; professionals; information systems; aircraft maintenance; emergency healthcare; case studies; professional organisations.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCLM.2014.064456

International Journal of Complexity in Leadership and Management, 2014 Vol.2 No.4, pp.293 - 312

Published online: 13 Sep 2014 *

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